Tuesday, May 23, 2006

Meatball Sub

Thanks, everyone, for your well wishes! I'm better but a bit tired, and back today with what would have been Monday's lunch. I simmered Nate's Meatless Meatballs in tomato sauce and packed them in a warm thermos. I cut the top off a wheat roll in a bowl shape, so shmoo could scoop out the meatballs and make himself a hot meatball sub at lunch. Above the sub are blanched, chilled asparagus, Barbara's Snackimals Oatmeal Wheat-Free Cookies, and fresh blueberries.

You may note that the cookies are in a brand new container. I just found a boxed set of six 2.5 oz stainless steel ramekins at Target, complete with little plastic lids. And yes -- oh happy, happy day! -- they fit in the lunchbox with their lids on! Look how it fits between the two medium containers just so. Having a mediumish container with a lid should be handy, although they don't hold as much as the square containers do. I would give you a link but can't find them for sale online; I hope everyone who wants one can find them at Target.

Verdict: Man, those Nate's Meatballs are spooky good. I get a bit anxious when I first bite into one and have to double-check the package for the word "meatless". Shmoo raved about the sub and ate every bite, but only ate the tender tops off the asparagus. 5 stars.

Glad you are feeling better!My omni coworkers even comment about how good Nate's meatless meat balls smell when I heat them up at work. I enjoy the classic flavor with out of the bottle barbeque sauce poured over them and eaten just plain. The meatless meatballs don't worry me because they taste too good to have meat in them...

Hi Jennifer! I found your blog via Kai's. I'm not a vegan but am working my to it. You look like a great chef! I'll be stopping by to read up some more (I'm sure I could learn a lot) Nice to 'meet' you!

YES!!!! I'm making a trip to Target TOMORROW!!!! There have been many times i wished one of the smaller containers had a lid for some (soy) yogurt, dips, or what have you. Great find! And thanks for posting about it!

Also, for my lunch today I am having something from a previous lunchbox. The peanut butter and sliced kiwi fruit on pitta bread. I thought you'd like to know that this continues to be one of the best ideas ever.

wow Miss. Shmoo, you are amazing! You're like SuperMom! haha I love the idea for a "meat"ball sub! I used to love those several years ago(when I ovbiously had no regard for animals!). I have never seen meatless meatballs but just opnce or twice in our stores, and then I just passed them up because I had no idea what to do with them! Now if I see them, I am going to snatch them up and try my best to duplicate this awesome lunch! Oh, and Im just curious, how exactly do you blanch the asparagus??

that meatball sub idea...flashbacks from pre-vegetarian school cafeteria lunches. One of the few things I actually liked, though who knows what was in them (probably mostly soy anyway). I'll have to have these sometime this week.

I had the same reaction to those meatballs, as well! I bit into one, and re-checked the package to make sure I hadn't grabbed the wrong thing from the freezer at the co-op. They are so tasty, any way you make them.

Glad to hear you're feeling better! I love those little containers - they also sell them at Storables and WorldMarket. We use them for dressings and salad toppings...well, and a bunch of other things too.

About those Nate's Meatballs. I have friends who bought them and I babysat their farm for 2 weeks and had some there. I, being rather naive in the meat department, didn't know they tasted like meat, but didn't like them (prob bec they tasted real). My nephew, staying with me one night, convinced me to have them on pizza and I liked them then. Yet another way to use Nates!

Good to hear you're feeling better! I make "meatball" subs with the Trader Joe meatless meatballs pretty often. I like to sauté up some sweet peppers and onion with some garlic and throw that in with the sauce too. Mushrooms sometimes too. I can get a bit carried away with sandwich fillings, it’s a problem when things start spilling out all over the place :P

After cleaning and cutting off the tough ends of the stalks, I cut their tender tops off and set them aside, then cut the remaining stalks into roughly 2-inch pieces.

I put the stalks in boiling water until they are almost but not quite tender, then throw in the tips for the last bit of cooking time (the tips cook more quickly and would get mushy if I threw them all in at once).

When it's all done I drain the asparagus, plunge it into ice water quickly to stop the cooking, then drain it again. That's blanching.

I, too, love the Trader Joes meatless meatballs. Great for spaghetti and "meatballs"! My husband and I went vegetarian last October and are loving it! We're not quite at the vegan stage yet but that is the goal and we are working on it!

Glad to hear your feeling better! Take care not to overdo which is going to be hard for you...what with little shmoo and this blog. I've always wondered about those meatless meatballs...time to get over my fear and give them a try I guess. When I used to have the real meatballs I would mix them with cranberry sauce and chili sauce....I suppose that would work with meatless too. Hey it was good I tell ya!!!!

It's so funny that you posted about these meatballs today--I almost just bought them at the grocery store on the way home from work for dinner. I'm slowly moving us into the meatless products, and your postings have been very helpful.

Can someone tell me if the TJ brand meatballs taste or smell like meat? Just curious, I'm a vegetarian from birth and mentally have an issue eating any products that have that smell, even if it's fake. Strange but true. Thanks!

Harini: I couldn’t really tell you how closely the TJ “meatballs” resemble the real thing, I’ve been veggie since I was 14 (12 years ago) and I find I have a really hard time remembering what meat tasted like. I am also put off by the smell of real meat and I like them so I would suggest giving them a try. Everyone I know who has tried them loves them!

Hey I found the little ramekins today at the Temecula,CA Target!!! They were in the aisle with the clear glass jars and dish drainers. There was a big stainless steel section with mini gravy boats (looked like they held a tablespoon each) and lots of other shiny metal products and there they were! WOO HOO for me and good luck to anyone else still on the hunt.